Harrogate

Harrogate's population grew between the last two censuses. Data from the census also show there were changes in religion, housing tenure and health.

The population reached nearly 160,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Harrogate increased by 4.3%, from about 151,000 to 158,000.

The addition of just over 6,500 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Harrogate was home to, on average, 0.86 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was lower than the average across Yorkshire and The Humber

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Yorkshire and The Humber, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Harrogate

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Harrogate increased by three years, from 40 to 43 years.

This agricultural area had a higher average age than Yorkshire and The Humber and remained somewhat older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of almost 4,300 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by almost 5,000.

About 12% of people in Harrogate are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Harrogate by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Harrogate

The number of people in Harrogate that described themselves as Christian increased from just under 120,000 in 2001 to just under 110,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 79% to 69% of the local population.

The percentage decreased by less than the average across Yorkshire and The Humber (from 73% to 60%) and the average across England (from 72% to 59%).

The number of people in Harrogate that described themselves as having no religion increased from just under 20,000 in 2001 to just over 36,000 in 2011 (from 13% to 23%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation remained close to 11,000 (7.1%)

Just over 570 people (0.2%) said they were Muslim, up from just over 310 in 2001 (0.4%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population who identified as Christian in Harrogate decreased by 10 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Harrogate by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Relationships in Harrogate

The proportion of married people fell in Harrogate, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber.

Every local authority area across Yorkshire and The Humber saw a fall in the proportion of married people, as the regional average fell from 52% to 47%.

During this period, Harrogate overtook Richmondshire and North Lincolnshire to become the Yorkshire and The Humber local authority area with the sixth-highest percentage of married people.

The proportion of married people was higher than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were married across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

More people cohabiting

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple increased in Harrogate, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber, except Craven.

Every local authority area across Yorkshire and The Humber saw a rise in the proportion of households with an unmarried couple, as the regional average grew from 8.7% to 11%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple was lower than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of households that had an unmarried couple across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

Changing work life

The percentage of Harrogate residents that were studying increased from 2.5% to 2.7% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just under 6 in 10 (56%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 55% in 2001. The percentage of Harrogate residents that were unemployed increased from 1.9% to 2.6%.

The proportion of students increased here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 2.5% in 2001 to 3.5% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 2.6% to 3.5%.

The percentage of students was lower than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that said they were in education across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

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